Why I love St Petersburg

“There is something about St Petersburg that gets under your skin. Despite preferring Moscow when I first came to Russia almost two decades ago, St Petersburg lingered; its colours and incredible light stayed with me, its history haunted me. When I came to live in Russia in 2000, I didn’t hesitate in choosing St Petersburg. Today what excites me about the city is the growing underground art and music scene, the...” Read More

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Tom Masters
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Top experiences in St Petersburg

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The new Hermitage

Fresh from celebrating its 250th birthday in 2014, St Petersburg’s Hermitage has completed the bold conversion of its General Staff Building, the neoclassical masterpiece facing the Winter Palace across Palace Square. This daring and exciting move has freed up enormous space to house the collection’s incomparable 19th- and 20th-century European paintings, making now a superb time to visit Europe’s biggest and most extraordinary museum.

Entrance to the General Staff Building, Palace Square. Image by John Freeman / Lonely Planet Images / Getty Images
Tom Masters
Lonely Planet Writer

White Nights and warm days: summer in St Petersburg

The few brief weeks of the White Nights – those incredible, luminous northern midsummer eves when the high latitudes are bathed in a pearlescent all-night glow – and sun-filled summer days in St Petersburg are an intoxicating time. By day, locals revel in the heat and the outdoors; by night, there are festivals, concerts and partying to indulge in.

This is a time when St Petersburg is at its most lustrous, when zhizni radost – the peculiarly Russian brand of joie de vivre – is irresistible. White Nights revelling starts in May, when the city finally succumbs to spring and the parks are filled with flowering trees, but mid-June is peak time, as the sun slumps lazily towards the horizon but never fully sets. Here are some White Nights (and summer day) experiences not to miss in St Petersburg.
Gabi Mocatta
Lonely Planet Writer

Manifesta 10: new and nostalgic art in St Petersburg

Searing photographic images from Kyiv’s Maidan protests, 16 great homosexuals and a Lada Kopeika crashed into a tree in the cobbled courtyard of the Winter Palace. Not since it was stormed in 1917 has the main venue of the Hermitage witnessed such an assault. For its 250th birthday and grand opening of its new General Staff Building galleries, the illustrious museum has embraced all this and more as part of its hosting of Manifesta 10, the nomadic European Biennial of Contemporary Art. This is our pick of a complex, eye-opening festival that both reconfirms St Petersburg as Russia’s artistic ‘window on the West’ for the 21st century and is nostalgic for a time when the hopes of perestroika burned brightly.

Lada Kopeika Project by Francis Alÿs, Winter Palace courtyard. Image by Simon Richmond / Lonely Planet
Simon Richmond
Lonely Planet Writer
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Travel guides

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St Petersburg adventures

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Baltic Adventure

Decades after the fall of communism, the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia remain a mystery to most travellers. We’re not complaining, though; more mystery means fewer crowds and an easier time getting to know these fantastic countries. Beginning in charming cobblestoned Vilnius and ending in beautiful Helsinki, this 2-week trip gets to the very heart of the region. Get an up-close glimpse of Riga’s castles and art district, experience rural life in Estonia, and venture into the fortresses and medieval architecture of Tallinn before crossing to Finland by ferry. Make the Baltics your special travel secret.
$38.87 Private & luxury

Private Tour: Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg

Visit Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg with a private guide and learn about its rich history on a 3-hour walking tour! The sprawling site is fascinating to explore, with old prison buildings and an ornate Baroque cathedral. Visit Trubetskoy Bastion, a prison-turned-museum and gaze in awe at the extravagant interior of Peter and Paul Cathedral where Tsar Peter the Great is buried. Arrange your private tour of the Peter and Paul Fortress to start at a time to suit your schedule, and relax with a hotel pickup by luxury minivan. As you travel, your private guide will talk to you about the city and also about the things that you want to see at the fortress. Once inside the attraction, your itinerary is flexible, so if there’s something you want to see more of, simply let your guide know.Head inside and start exploring, learning about the impressive building’s history. The oldest structure in St Petersburg, the fortress was built in the 1700s to defend against an invasion by the Swedes. The attack never came, and the site went on to be used as a prison until as recently as 1917.Visit Trubetskoy Bastion, one of the old prison blocks, and hear how it served as the main political prison of the Russian Empire as well as a torture chamber for the secret services. Whereas it once symbolized political repression, the building is now a museum that charts the history of its former inmates. Browse the exhibits with your guide as you walk around.Continue to the Russian Orthodox Peter and Paul Cathedral, and marvel at its Baroque interior – a standout feature that sets it apart from the city’s other Orthodox cathedrals. Look up toward the bell tower and visit the tombs of emperors and eminent Russians like Tsar Peter the Great. After exploring the fortress and its various sites, return to your minivan and travel back to your hotel where your tour ends.
$85.75 Sightseeing tours

Half Day Tour of Peterhof (Petrodvorets)

Peterhof is perhaps St Petersburg's most famous and spectacular Imperial estate. The Grand Palace, filled with fascinating and elaborate interiors, sits on top of a high seashore ridge overlooking the vast Lower Park. The palace at Peterhof sits amidst an enormous park, adorned with fountains, statues and pavilions. Numbers are limited to 6 people on this small-group tour, ensuring you'll receive personalized attention from your guide.The Upper Garden, located between the St Petersburg highway and the Grand Palace, is a typical French-style formal garden with five fountains including one depicting Neptune, the God of the Sea. The estate's Lower Park lies between the Grand Palace and the seashore and boasts the world's largest system of fountains, earning it the title the "Russian Versaille". The park's unique fountain system was designed in the 18th century and doesn't require the use of any pumps to operate the fountains.There are three major cascades and over 140 fountains in the park. The most impressive is the Grand Cascade, located directly below the Grand Palace, which features an impressive golden statue of Samson grasping the mighty jaws of the lion. The park's other cascades feature black and white chess board designs, Chinese dragons and numerous other features definitely worth seeing!
$289.27 Sightseeing tours

St. Petersburg Shore Excursion: Small-Group 2-Day Visa-Free Tour Including Boat Ride

Explore St. Petersburg with an English-speaking guide, on this two-day tour. Visit Peter and Paul's Fortress, St. Issac Cathedral, Church of our Saviour on the Spilled Blood, the Hermitage Museum and more. Ride on the canal, enjoy traditional Russian lunches and immerse yourself in this beautiful city on this small-group tour.
$96 Sightseeing tours

St Petersburg Shore Excursion: 2-Day City Highlights Tour by Bus

When your cruise ship docks in St Petersburg, set off to explore the stately Russian city with this 2-day shore excursion. With a knowledgeable guide, see the best of the City of Tsars, including Nevsky Prospect, Peter and Paul Cathedral and Palace Square on the first day of your excursion. Then, on the second day, visit the grand Versailles-like royal residence just outside of the city. Tour the complex and its famous gardens before returning to the port.
$212 Sightseeing tours

St Petersburg Shore Excursion: Private 2-Day Jewish Heritage Tour

When your cruise ship docks in St Petersburg, see the city's top landmarks and delve into Jewish heritage on this private 2-day shore excursion. With your very own guide, visit key Jewish sights, such as the Grand Choral Synagogue, and gain insight into Eastern European Jewish culture at the Russian Museum of Ethnography. Plus, take in top attractions like the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, the Hermitage Museum and the Peter and Paul Fortress.
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